


Forgotten

by roobarrtrashmouth



Category: IT (2017), IT - Stephen King
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-20
Updated: 2018-04-20
Packaged: 2019-04-25 07:52:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14374284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roobarrtrashmouth/pseuds/roobarrtrashmouth
Summary: The Losers Club leave Derry one-by-one and something terrible happens to those who remain.





	Forgotten

**Author's Note:**

> Language warning.  
> This one is angsty.

12 years now. That's how long it's been since the last of the Losers left Derry. Left Mike here to tend the lighthouse and wait for IT to come back. Slowly forgetting them, one at a time. Dying each day a bit more, forgetting what they looked like, sounded like.

Somehow he knew it would be him. The one who would be left behind. He was tied to closely to this cursed land and city. He didn’t blame them, he couldn’t. They meant the world to him. They were his life, were just kids after all. Left to the fickle whims of parents who really were dancing to the strings of an unknown puppet master. 

Sure he didn’t go to the same school, but they somehow found a way to make him included. They would meet at the quarry, in the Barrens, his farm, the Tozier’s house. The seven of them would get together and talk about everything and nothing. He cherished those days, sleepovers, and camping trips. They welcomed him into their ranks, a Loser, and he loved it.

They all entered high school and he was finally able to join them. That was the best day of his life. Most freshmen were scared shitless of going to high school, let alone being the new kid, but not him. It was the best fucking day of his life. He was with his Losers all day. Meeting before school, walking in like they owned the place. Sharing classes, doing homework at one of their houses. Friday football games, everything. Life was perfect. Sure Eddie’s mom was a pain in the ass, and Bev’s dad was finally out of the picture. Things were on the whole great.

Bev broke the news on a cool October evening at the quarry. “I’m moving.” She dropped into the cool darkness. Her mom was the first to twitch to the sleeping monster’s strings. She told Bev that at the end of the school year they were moving to Portland to live with her sister. Elfrida knew about her daughter and her boy friends and really didn’t want to separate them. But they simply couldn’t afford to live there anymore on her salary alone. With Al out of the picture home life had gotten much better but they needed the bastards money to survive. Elfrida gave Bev the rest of the school year to make her goodbyes,she owed her that much. “Mom’s promised me that we won’t leave until the end of the school year, maybe a bit into the summer but I’ll be starting my sophomore year in Portland.” The Losers all moved in close and hugged her and vowed to make her freshman year one that Derry High School would never forget, and they did. 

When summer finally came the boys helped her pack and took turns hugging her. The last to hug her was Ben. He was crying, they were all crying by this point. Ben blinked back tears, “You know Bev. I love you.” Bev nods sadly. She takes his face into both of her hands, leans in close, “Ben I love you too. I’m sorry for my shitty timing.” She then plants a soft loving kiss on his lips while their tears mingle on their lips. She pulls back and says, “I won’t ever forget you. Any of you, I love you all.” Little did they know that was the first and last lie Bev would ever tell the Losers. She gave everyone another hug, gave Ben another kiss, turned and got in her car with her mom. Bev was the first of the Losers to leave Derry. With her gone Ben wasn’t the same. He still hung out with the remaining Losers but his spark was gone. 

Bill was next. As the Losers leader he stood in his parent’s yard and told his dearest friends, “Take care of each other, ok. Look out for one another. Don’t do anything stupid (looking directly at Richie) and above all else be safe.” He then hugged each of them in turn, got in his parents car and then drove away, with the Losers standing in the street waving. After his car had been gone for what seemed hours, but was just minutes, Richie looks at the remaining club, “Did you all catch that? He didn’t stutter once. Fuck.” He threw his arm around Eddies shoulder and told him, “Come on Eds let’s blow this pop stand and go get into some trouble.” Eddie starts to tell him to shut up but stops, and just shakes his head and walks off with Richie. Bill’s departure was just as hard as Bev’s, since by now, their sophomore year, Bev had not returned any of their calls or letters in quite a while. They were getting an inkling as to what was going to happen. The forgetting. Bill also made promises to keep in touch, he did but just like Bev they got less and less until, nothing. 

Eddie exit was next and quite possibly the worst of them all. By this time Richie and Eddie were dating, only the remaining Losers knew of course. Stan had warned them that it probably wasn’t a good idea, but he was half hearted about his warning at best. They all knew that they had to grab life and whatever happiness they could, while there was time. Sonia being the bitch she was only gave Eddie 2 months notice and made it miserable the entire time for him and Richie. Eddie was wrenched from Richie. She didn’t give him the goodbye that Bev and Bill got. Hugs, kisses, more hugs and tears. 

The day of the move Sonia unceremoniously tossed Eddie in the car, slammed the door, started the engine and began driving away. Richie ran after the car calling Sonia a bitch and screaming for Eds to not forget him. Meanwhile Eddie was leaning out the window screaming for Richie, begging him not to leave him, yelling at Sonia to stop the car so he could say goodbye. Goodbye to his friends and Richie, but she seemed to hit the gas and go faster. When the car was out of sight Richie fell to his knees in the street, hair hanging down in his face, and said, “I hate this fucking town, and hate that fucking clown. I don’t want to forget about Eds. I don’t want him to forget me. Guys, I just don’t. Help, please.” Mike, Stan, and Ben got down on the street with him and held him until he stopped crying. When they finally got Richie calmed down they stood in a circle held hands and looked at one another. The spark was still there but it wasn’t nearly as strong as it had been with seven. They looked at each other wondering who would be next. Who would be the next one to leave, to forget? They say you should rip a bandage off fast so it won’t hurt and that the same holds true for lost love. Well “they” are wrong. Like Ben, a vitalness, the thing that made Richie… Richie had been ripped out. 

But by now the remaining Losers knew the awful truth. Once you left, you forgot. Leaving those that remained to suffer by knowing they would be forgotten. 

Junior year and Ben was next. By now they had the routine down. Hugs, tears, more hugs. But no more lying. They knew not to tell one another that the wouldn’t forget. They knew that for what it was, platitudes to make them feel better. Ben simply said as he was getting in his mom’s car, “I hope I run into Bev out there. Maybe she’ll remember me.” He smiled wanly at Stan, Mike and Richie and closed the door. They waved and cried, they were down to three.

Senior year. This should have been the Losers Club’s crowning year. Rulers of the school. Instead it was something akin to convicted men with their backs to a cement wall wondering who would get the bullet next. By this time Mike knew it would never be him. His family was firmly rooted to Derry. This knowledge haunted him as he looked at his last friends. He wanted to reassure them. Tell them not to worry that soon their pain would fade and they too would forget. 

Sometime after Ben left and before senior year started, Stan and Mike came to an understanding. Both of them knew time was short, but for the first time in his life Stan didn’t what to be cautious, he wanted happiness, he wanted Mike. Stan and Mike began dating. They tried to hide it from Richie out of kindness, but he figured it out. “One of us poor dumb fuckers should be happy. Might as well be the two of you.” He quipped when he confronted them. “Please love each other, but don’t lock me out. I need the two of you.” They couldn’t do that to him. Their relationship was punctuated with all the things they both loved doing. Bird watching, long walks in the woods for Mike to take pictures. Evenings at the quarry. Parties at Rich’s house or at the barn. Photos, lots and lots of photos. It was wonderful, while it lasted.

The three of them made it all the way through the year together. No one left. But they all knew the awful truth. High school must end and they would naturally be separated. College loomed. They all applied to the same schools in the hope that if they stayed together “out there” they wouldn’t forget. But the clown had other plans. They all got into good colleges but not the same ones. They would be separated regardless, despite their best efforts, the fucking clown was still screwing with their lives. 

Their last night together they went to the quarry. Where the Losers had spent so much time, and had such wonderful memories. They stood on the edge of the cliff, looked out at the moonlit sky and the inky blackness of the water and lit four candles and opened four beers. Then they proceeded to get ragingly drunk. The thing that none of them noticed was that the candles never really burnt out, they just burned on and on until in the morning they simply went out. 

Stan and Rich left on the same day. Stan headed to Emory and Rich to UCLA. Again they knew the routine, hug, kisses, more hugs. But no promises to keep in touch, no lying. Stan and Mike walked Rich to his plane and group hugged, kissed each other embarrassedly and wished him luck. Rich felt like hammered shit. He waved to them as he walked down the jetway. Feeling crappy he reached into his bag and encountered a small album. He opened it up and inside Mike had written that this was to help him crack a smile in the future. The first picture was of him and Eddie. Eddie in Richies lap lit by a campfire. Richie put it to his heart and cried quietly the entire way to Los Angeles. 

They had an hour and a half before Stan’s plane left. They spent that time next to each other holding hands and studying each others features. Not caring about the looks they got from the other passengers. Fuck them, this was the end and they both knew it. They were trying to burn themselves into their memories. Stan reached into his bag and gave Mike his bird watching diary. “Mike this is filled with all of the birds we found together, along with notes to you about what we were doing when we spotted them. I need you to keep this. Who knows how long it’ll take before I look at it and toss it on a shelf and forget about it. At least I know that with you, the memories we made together will live on.” Mike took it and handed Stan a small photo album. “I know you will forget everyone in this book, but it doesn’t matter. I want you to have it. I gave one to Rich as well. I never got a chance to make one for the others. In a year I doubt you will know who these people are in this book, but hopefully some small part of you will remember and that’ll bring a smile to your face.” 

Mike walked Stan to his gate kissed him deeply, making it last. They parted, looked at each other and Mike said, “I love you Stanley Uris. I’m sorry this…” Stan puts a finger over Mikes lips, “Mikey, don’t ruin it. We both knew it was going to end like this. I just knew I couldn’t make it through the rest of my life without being with you. I wouldn’t trade this time for anything in the world. I love you. I can live knowing that at least you will remember that. I’m sorry.” Stan turned made his way to the jetway, stopped blew Mike a kiss and turned and walked out of his life. 

Mike stood there at the airport having watched the love of his life and his last best friends leave. Finally he let the tears he had been holding in since Ben left, come out. He was alone, utterly. He knew what his purpose was. Somehow he had to live, watch, and wait for It. But that didn’t make it any easier a burden to bear.

Mike threw himself into college. He had to. Full load class schedules, no after school activities. Long study sessions in the library. In his dorm room the bird diary and his own photo album had a place of prominence on his bookshelf. He found himself at points throughout the day or night thinking, Rich would get a kick out this. Damn Bev would just hate the hell out of this chick. It was during this time that Mike got a job working in the library. After all he spent most of his time there studying, “Might as well make money while I’m here.” He thought to himself. And fell in love, with his job. He loved working in libraries, helping people answer questions, talking to students and strangers about what to read. He had found his career.

He made acquaintances in school, but friends, no. Nothing like what he had with the Losers. He was lonely and he remembered. He remembered Richie’s trashmouth, Eddie’s aspirator, Bill’s sureness, Ben’s giving heart, Bev’s fire and Stan. He remembered the love he shared with his fastidious boy. 

Mike looked out at the crowd of people at his college graduation ceremony. So many happy faces. He searched the crowd hoping to catch a glimpse of faces that were becoming a bit hazy. But no, his family was there to cheer him on as he he crossed the stage, shook hands, and collected his diploma. Not a Loser in the crowd, except for him.

After his studies were over he inevitably made his way back to Derry. Easily got job at the Derry Public Library and began a steady climb up the career ladder. Still he remembered and worried and began tracking his old friends. 

Post Scrip

Hi Mike,

I know it’s weird how I wrote all of this. But I have my reasons. I had to tell you the story of the Losers Club and how we... they all forgot each other, because I’m also beginning to forget and I’m still here in Derry. I have to get this all down before it disappears. I know their names, but their faces are blurry. Was it Eddie that had the big damn glasses or was that Richie? Luckily I still remember all the time I spent with Stan. I still read his bird diary and look at my photo album. 

I’ve set up automatic searches to track them. I have safeguards in place to retrieve their phone numbers and addresses and what they have been up to. I should always be able to contact them if I need to. But god I don’t want to. I don’t want to ever have to call them back. But if I do, I will get my friends back and I’ll get to see them all at least one more time. To be surrounded by the people who mean the most to me in the world. They were… are my life and family. I’d love to have them back, to bring color back into my lonely black and white world.

But that may mean losing some or all of them to.. to… It and I couldn’t live with myself if that happened. Better that I forget as well. I would rather them all live happily ever after and we all just forget. I would rather live alone with this dull pain in my chest and emptiness in my heart. But I’m afraid that Pennywise is still alive and that’s why I’m also starting to forget. By the turtle please don’t have me make those calls, please.

Mike Hanlon,MLS  
Director of the Derry Public Library  
Proud Member of the Losers Club


End file.
